Josh Desmond is seeking about $12,000 in unpaid wages from the Halifax Mooseheads.

With the help of the newly formed Canadian Hockey League Players’ Association, the 19-year-old defenceman has filed a complaint with the labour standards division of the Labour and Advanced Education Department.

The Musquodoboit Harbour native alleges in the complaint he earned $48 per week from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team during the 2011-12 season for about 41hours of work per week.

Desmond now plays for the Yarmouth Jr A Mariners of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. He appeared in 52 games for the Moosheads last year, registering 16 points.

Desmond did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment. CHLPA spokesman Derek Clarke also could not be reached for comment.

According to a Toronto Star story, Desmond wrote in his complaint form to the labour standards division, “I am filing this complaint because I was not being paid minimum wage.”

“While I was playing, I never even thought about wages,” Desmond was quoted in the Star article. “But now that it’s all over with and the CHLPA has notified me of all these things I didn’t know about, it made me think about what I should do. I chose to do this.”

Desmond’s complaint is the first made under the guidance of the CHLPA, whose executive director is retired NHL player Georges Laraque.

The complaint could open the door for other players from the QMJHL or the Canadian Hockey League’s two other partners, the Ontario Hockey and Western Hockey leagues, to do the same.

There are 60 franchises in the CHL and team management pays players a weekly allowance. The amounts vary from team to team and player to player.

All QMJHL players sign contracts detailing their work terms when they join their team. Included in that document are the specifics of their weekly stipend.

A member of the Mooseheads’ executive confirmed Wednesday that Desmond signed a contract that detailed the terms of his relationship with the team for the 2011-12 season. The Mooseheads said Desmond received $50 per week, a typical rate for a player of his standing.

The team also confirmed that Desmond’s family received in excess of $400 per month in billeting fees. The family who provides room and board for every Halifax player receives payment from the team, even if that player lives with his own family.

“We’d been hearing rumblings for a little while now, but I must admit I was surprised,” said Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith.

“But I thought it was interesting from Josh’s comments that he said he never thought about money or my benefits last year, but when these CHLPA guys started talking to me I realized all the stuff I could be getting. I thought that was kind of interesting. I don’t know how he gets to the 41 hours a week, but when you say $48 for 41 hours, if that were a kid working at Canadian Tire, you’d say ‘There’s something wrong here.’

“But that money is just the very beginning of the benefits we provide to our players. Everything from room and board to education while they’re playing with us, including tutors and education advisers, to all the investments we make in them as players to help them reach their goals as an NHL player, a professional player at another level or a CIS player. Beyond that, we contribute to their post-career education.

“I’m very proud of the way we treat our players. Certainly, even compared to the NCAA, there are a lot of things we do for our players that some of the top programs cannot or do not. But we’ll have to deal with this.”

Smith said he is letting officials from the CHL and QMJHL handle the complaint for now and is “not scrambling to find a lawyer or anything like that.”

He also said he isn’t angry with Desmond, saying the player is likely just reacting to the advice of the adults influencing him.

“You know, here’s a 19-year-old kid and there are some union guys in his ear telling him about all the money he’s owed. I don’t have any hard feelings toward any of these guys who used to play on our team.”

Once a player leaves the Quebec league, he receives a $5,000 post-secondary bursary from the QMJHL education fund for every season he was in the league. However, there is a stipulation that the player still has to be in the league at 19 years old and play a minimum of 20 games to be eligible.

The Mooseheads sometimes compensate players directly who don’t meet those requirements. And like all CHL teams, the Mooseheads provide additional education packages to many of their players.

Players also lose their education money if they play more than one year of professional hockey.

“Our 60 clubs operate with the best interest of the players in mind, at all times,” the CHL said in a statement.

“It is estimated the net value, or investment, for each player in the league is between $35,000 and $40,000 annually. This accounts for the education program and the many other benefits provided by CHL member clubs.

“We firmly believe that our teams have always acted in accordance with all applicable provincial and federal laws and will continue to do so.”